Pneumatic musical instrument.



T. P. BROWN;

PNBUMATIG MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIGATIOH FILED IBBJB, 1908.

. Patented 'July 2o, 1'909,

gli() UNITED srArEs PATENT OEEICE.

THEODORE P. BROWN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, SHIGTNOR^TO SIMPLEX PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSCI-IUSE'1" IS,l A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- sE'rTs.

rNEUMATrc Musica; INSTRUMENT. j`

Patented July so, leoe.

Application and February is. laos. smal No. 410,608.

To all whom fit may camera:

Be it known that I, Trlnononn P. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new `and useful Pneumatic Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specifi- `catio \\I`his invention relates' to a pneumatic'ac.- tion\\for auto-prie musical instruments. "Such instr' structed are provided' with primary and secondary valves, the secondary valve being controlled from the rimary valve and vbein ofv such a nature t at Yit is necessary to a just it and sometimes remove it and clean it in ractice.' Theseepondary valves give consi erable` trouble i them t'' ayoid vor pur ose of im rovn mitigate these dltlicultles.

The principal object of this inveiiton is to do away with the secondary valve entirely andOto provide a system of. rimary valves for controllin the strikingp eumatics in a.

This is ought about'by the use of a double primary valve, Yboth parts operatin when air is admitted to the tracker channe which ,is connected to operate both of them2 one ifacting at this time to shut off the str1k in g .pneumatic from communication with the -Louter ,air and the other to connect it'with i a source of suction. use Aof two of the ordlnary sim le primaryplicated st es of secondary valves which,

Inthis way, by the .ii'alvea` the; complications an disadvan- :tages of Athe secondary valves are avoided .without em loying any of the more comave been evised. Y

'Further objects anjd advantages of the" ...invention"wil.l ap Vear' hereinafter.

Reference is to e had to the accom any- .l ing drawin s which show a refer em- .bodirnent o' the invention an in which,

.- Figurel is a plan of u tier of -valve boxes and connectionsl thereto. Fig. 2 isa. lon tudinal sectional view of the same on t line 2?-2 of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 is a. sectional` view on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2, so presen as to ehovvboth forms of pueumatlcs an 'ing' a front as usually con-V the operation and many inventions have beernade for the.

cured by the use of the best forms thereof. v

The device is shown as usual as comprislate 1.0 havin' valve boxes 1l placed on t e rear thereo4 in tiers. The tracker channels 12 extend ldown through the front plate in a well-known manner and terminate in a series4 of chambers in the valve boxes. A departure is made at this point from the ordinary construction aseach tracker channel is provided with two branches in its valve box each leading to a separate chamber, ldesignated respectively ,13 and 14. Over each of these chambers there isa pouch 15,16similar. to the ordinary primary pneumatic, above which isla, suction chamber or passage 1'( asis well understood. Each of the roaches supports a valve designated as 1 and 19 respectivel These valves are of well known types ing adjustably mountedon their respective pneumatics or pouches and the are designed to control two passages 20 anV 21, res ectively. The valves are so constructed an set that when there is no impulse of air in the `tracker channel, the pouches 15 and 16 being thus lowered, the valve 18 will close the communication between itsV passage 20 and the Suction chamber 17 and o en this passage to the outer air throng 'aport 22. Under the same condition of affairs, the valve 19 lfallsso, as to give a free communication' between its-'passage 21 and the suction chamber 1.7 through a 'port 23 and to A close the top o'this port to prevent the aidmission of air to the assa e 21'.l

The two passages 0 im 21 are 'provided with pouches V24 and. 25 constituting a part rom 'the Astriking pneumatic 28. The pas- 05 sages 2G and 27' are shown in thc form` of a pair off open ended tubes which Awill be.`

closed when their respective ponches 24 and 25 are brought down upon their to is" and-n'.

opened when thcse'pouches are raiserv The 105iend of the passa e or tube 26 is in a suction' chamber 30 whi e the pass e 27y is oen to the outer air. 'Now with t e valves in thc position shown in Fig. 3, it bcingnnderstood of onevalve bmpatid the 'other of another, yet these two l'maries are 'shown'A in .the po'- sitions. that t le two primaries of the same valve bpx-woul assuma-the pressure of the air on the-top bf the pouch 24 forces it down V1 1o lthat while this ligure shows' one primary los on the end of the tube. 26 and closes the paf sage .so that the striking pneumatic cannot. communicate wit-h the suction. Un the other hand, the )lissage under which the tube L/.i is located', being in cennrumication with one of the suction chanibers 17, this pouch is raised from the passante or tube 27faud the striking.;l pneumatic is t nis in communication with the outer air. Now if an air impulse is admitted into the tracker cl'iannel, which is done in the usual way, the two [immunities 15 and 1li will be raised taking the valves 18 and` 19 with' them. This cuts the passage 53() olf from the outer air and puts it. into eo1n muuication with the suction chamber 17 and has the opposite ell'cct on this passage 2t. Consequently, the pouch 21 willv be raised and the pouch Z5 Will be allowed to drop, there being the same pressure on both sides of the latter.

It will be noted that the suction in the passage 2O operates over the entire upper surface of the pouchV 24 and the suction in the chamber 30 operates only on that: surface outside the tube S26 when the pouch is resting thereon; consequently the )ouch will now bc raised. After this condition ol ailairs is established, the. flow of air out ot' the strik ing, )neuniatie over the top of the tube 2G will lkeep the pouch up from the tube. as long as this condition is allowed to`exft. At the same time, the flow of air from the ,tube 27 throu h the striking pncumaticto the tube 2G wi l draw the pouch 25 down on the top of the tube 27 andprevent the admission of air thereto.

The suction chambers 17 communicate with the t'zteker channels 12 through pas sa ges 31 which are coi/cred by disks 32eaeh )rovid'ed with a. pin-hole perforation 4for bleeding` purposes. Op insite each of the channels 31 is a screwtlireaded opening in which is located asclew 320 which can be removed to permitaccess to the bleeding disk for the purpose of cleaning any' dust out of the perforation therein. l It `will be seen, therefore, that. all the advantages of the seeondary valves, even' of the best make, are secured by this invention while. their disadvantages are avoided as. the simple pouchesI which are substituted l'or them are of Such a character thatI they will not require any cleaning` or adjusmcnt or Vin fact. any" attention whatever. lhe)r work regularly, positively and automatically and their durability is much greater than any secondary valve which has yet heen proposed.

Thilo I have illustrated and described a preferred embodment`ol the invention, I am aware that ln..ny modilicalions may he irade therein by any person skilled in the art, with-ont departing fromtln-rsco 1e of the-5 invention as expressed in the claims. There fore, lf do Vnot wish to'be limited to the 4particular form shown, Abut What l. do claim iss* l. ln a musical instrument, the combination with a striking' pneumatic, ol' a tracker channel, two chambers connnunieating dirtaatly with the. tracker channel, a pucuulatic lor-ated in cach of .said chanibers, a Valve opt-lated by cach ot' said pneumatica, means` controlled by one ot said valves 'for admit ting,l air to the striking' pneumatic, and independent meansA rtmtrolled by the. other valve 'or exhilarating the .striking pneumatic.

2. ln a musical ienlrunlent, the combination with a .striking channel, two chambers connuunieating directly with the tracker channel, a pneumatic located in cach ol said clauiihers, a valve pneunnitie, ol.' a. tracker" operated by cach oil.' .said pnermiatics, a diaphragnii or pouch controllml by one. of said valves tor admitting;V air to the striking pneumatic, and independent; n'ieans controlled by the otluzr ralrc for exhausting the striking pneumatic, and counirisnncl a passage having ,an open end and a dialihragn'l or pouch for cl osing the pa .ssa ge.

il, in a .musical instrument, the combination with a striking pneumatic, of a tracker channel, two primary pneunuitics both in direct communication with said tracker channel, and two pouches, each controlled by one ot' said primaryl pneuniatics, for conjointly controlling the operation of the striking pneumatic. f

4. .ln a. musicalinstruinent, the combination with a striking neurnatie and a. suction chamber, of a trac :er channel, two pneumatics comnuinicatn with the tracker channel, valves o erateel!) by said pneunn-ttics, means control ed by `one of said valves .for admitting air to the. Striking` pneumatic, and means controlled by the other Valve for eonnecting the striking,T pneumatic: with the suction chamber. l

5. In a musical instrument, the combina tionwit'h a tracker bar channel, of two pneumatica connected therewith, a valve controlled independently byeaeh ofsaid pneu matics, one of said valves being arranged t0 close and the other to open when an impulse passes through the tracker ohanneka striking pneumatic and means controlled by said valves .t or operating the strikinr pneumatic.

(i. 'ln a musicaly instrument, t 1e combination w ith a tracker bar channel,V o f two priinary pneuu at ics; connected therewith, aprimary valve controlled y each O-:sa-id pncmnatics, a striking pneumatic and means controlled by said valves for Istriki ng t -two pmmches, each connected with and com trolled by one ot.' said valves and onec0nstitnting means for. admitting air to the striking;r nieumatic end the other forconnecting' tlie strikingr pneumatic with a source of suction.

7. In a 4n iusical instrument, the combina- 130 operating,l the 4' pnerunatle, said means: comprising tion of a tracker channel, a suction chamber, two primary pneumatics separutin the suction chamber from the tracker c annel, a valve connected with each of said pneuinatics, two passages, each controlled by onenected with said passages for controlling a striking pneumatic. 8. In a musical lnstrument, the combinar tion with a striking pneumatic, of an openended tube projecting therefrom, a suction chamber' surroundin the end of the tube, a pouch of larger diameter than the tube ocated at the end of the tube and adapted to close it and forming a Wall of said suction chamber, and a chamber on the side of the pouch opposite said suction chamber adapted to be put under suction to move the pouch from the end of the tube.

9. In a musical instrument, the combination with a striking neumatic, of an openended passage exten ing therefrom, a suction chamber. surrounding the end of the passage, a pouch of larger diameter than the passage located at the end of the passage and adapted to close it and forming a wall of said suction chamber, a chamber on the side of the ouch opposite said suction chamber adapted to be put under suction to move the pouch from the end of the passage, and means for admitting air to the strikinI pneumatic whenever the pouch closes said passage, whereby the area of the pouch in communication with said. chamber is greater than that in communication with said suction chamber.

10. A device for controlling the connection of a striking pneumatic with the outer' air, comprising a primary valve, a passage controlled by said valve, a pouch constituting a Wall of said passage, a striking pneumatic, and a tube projecting from the striking pneumatic an opening into the outer air and adapted to be closed by said pouch when air is admitted by said valve into said Jassage, and to be opened when the passage 1s put under suction. V

In testimon whereof I have hereunto'set my hand, vin t 1e presence of two subscribing wltnesses. c

THEODORE P. BROWN. Witnesses:

AIBERT E. F AY, C. FoRREsT WESSON. 

